Brother, My Brother
by Wulfton
Summary: A tale of how an brothers unknown to each other meet, and ultimately realize their feelings ... An AU fic, set in the modern world that contains incest and homosexuality, so if that offends you, simply don't read. Aside from that, enjoy, and hopefully review! :D
1. A Stranger In The Night

**New EraMur Fic**

_ A/N: Welcome all, to yet another concoction of my devious muses. It's AU, and based on the book, not the movie! Main pairing will be EraMur (Eragon x Murtagh) along with others, so obviously, if homosexuality, incest or anything like that isn't your cup of tea, then don't bother reading, you probably won't enjoy it._

_ DISCLAIMER: I do not own the "Inheritance Cycle" in any way, shape or form, that's all Paolini's!_

* * *

**1. STRANGER IN THE NIGHT**

Eragon groaned loudly in exasperation, and allowed his head to fall heavily into his hands resting by the elbow on the desk in front of him. The desk itself wasn't in a much better state than its owner, with pages strewn haphazardly everywhere on it, showing various pictures of the human anatomy, with different parts highlighted and drawn in extra detail.

He glanced up from his position at the digital clock balanced upon a pile of hardbacks on a corner of the desk and sighed degectedly when he realised it was 11:05 p.m. He should have been in bed over an hour ago, yet here he was, still struggling to draw the figures in the set exercise his art teacher had heartlessly assigned the class before the weekend.

He was about to give up for the night, when suddenly he heard the doorbell ringing downstairs, followed by the sounds of his mother, Selena, putting down a plate she'd been washing with a _clang_ in the sink, and then hurrying to the door to see who would be calling at this hour.

There was a moment of strange silence between the opening of the door, and Selena's surprised exclamation of, "Murtagh?! What are you doing here, has something happened?!"

Eragon strained to hear the muttered reply from his listening point at the doorframe leading from the hall to the living room, where he rushed hearing his mother's surprised outcry.

Upon hearing this "Murtagh"s response, Selena ushered him in out of the sleet that had started to fall a half hour ago, fussing about colds and flus and whatnot, piquing Eragon's curiosity as to why his mother would be showing such concern to what seemed a total stranger to him.

Sensing Eragon's puzzlement, Selena flicked her gaze to Eragon and as way of anwering silently shook her head, preventing any questions for the moment, and motioned for him to take Murtagh's sleet-covered black parka before he froze to death.

Mentally shrugging to himself, Eragon went over and eased the jacket off of Murtaghs shoulders, noting immediately that Murtagh stood about an inch or two taller than him, and hung it on the coat rack which stood to the left of the door. He then went to the kitchen and began preparing some hot chocolate for the three of them, knowing that it would probably be a good idea since there could be a _lot _of talking to do.

* * *

He walked into the living room ten minutes later, carrying a tray with three mugs of hot chocolate, a small jug of warmed milk and a plate of mini-marshmallows, and set it down on the table situated between the two armchairs and couch that resided in their living room. He passed one mug to Selena who thanked him quietly before quickly returning her attention to Murtagh, and another to Murtagh, who seemed surprised at the gesture of generosity, as if he was unused to such actions.

Seeing that everone was settled, Eragon chose the remaining armchair, twisting slightly so as to get a better look at Murtagh who was sitting in the other one. Murtagh who had been sitting there quietly listening to Selena, turned when he felt the curious pair of eyes upon him, turning and looking right back at Eragon.

Eragon couldn't help but take the opportunity to really _look _at Murtagh. His eyes were a storm-grey, seemingly holding back a torrent of emotions but radiating almost total control of them. His hair was ebony black, and longer in the back than Eragons, with a loose ponytail held in place by a piece of brown leather, leaving bangs which framed Murtaghs face, contrasting nicely with his slightly-tanned skin.

And likewise, Murtagh couldn't help but admire Eragon in turn, who he thought was the very definition of "cute". His eyes were a brown that were close to chocolate, expressing a willingness to help anyone that needed it. His hair was a lighter dusty-earth brown and slightly shorter than his own, though a bit longer in the front, causing Eragon to absent-mindedly brush it away every now and then with a hand covered in skin only a shade or two lighter than his, after which he gave Murtagh a shy smirk. At this Murtagh felt himself smile uncertainly back, melting slightly at the graceful gesture and stirring feelings he'd rather ignore, considering ...

"Eragon," Selena said pointedly, causing the two to break eye contact and turn their attention to her, "I think I should explain what's going on.

Eragon nodded quickly, before he noticed Murtagh gripping the mug tightly, his knuckles turning a strained white, and then frowned to himself, forgetting what his mother said, before he shook himself out of it and paid attention to what she was saying.

"Well," she began, "remember that Morzan I was with, a long time ago?"

She paused, waiting for Eragon to nod in confirmation, as he seemed to be paying more attention to Murtaghs movements than herself.

"Okay ... well, after that ended – thank god! - Murtagh was left in his care, as the judge deemed both of us unfit to raise both of you, so I got you, and Murtagh was left with Morzan."

She glanced at Murtagh sympathetically, who was busy staring into his hot chocolate, trying, but succeeding, to contain his feelings.

"But Murtagh," she continued, "recently turned 18, so he was able to legally move out of Morzan's house. He's been wandering about from place to place, and since he has nowhere to go, he came here. Now, I don't have a problem with it, but it's your room he'll have to share, so, you don't mind, do you?"

Eragon looked surprised for a moment, having been drowning in sympathy seconds ago for Murtaghs circumstances, before eagerly nodding and replying enthusiastically with, "Yeah, of course I don't mind!"

The three then fell into a comfortable silence, sipping their chocolate. Eragon did what he usually did with hot chocolate and marshmallows; dipping them into it before sucking them dry while they melted. He glanced over at Murtgah, and started slightly at the fact that Murtagh didn't seem to be able to tear his gaze away from Eragons lips. Blushing at the sight, Eragon smirked before quickly downing the rest of the hot chocolate.

* * *

Eragon then stood up, stretching slightly after having sat umoving for so long, feeling relieved as his tense joints popped satisfyingly. Extending a hand to Murtagh, he asked, "So, wanna see where we'll be staying?"

Murtagh grinned (the first time Eragon had seen him do so) and grasped Eragons proferred hand, allowing himself to be helped up and led to Eragons bedroom upstairs. When they went in, Eragon showed him where everything was; the closet (with enough room for anything Murtagh wanted to put in), the desk (which caused Eragon to rub the back of his head embarrasingly at the mess), the en-suite bathroom and the double-bed.

Catching himself there, Eragon asked timidly, "You don't mind sharing a bed, do you?"

Looking at Eragon in mild surprise (and in _-ahem!-_ other ways), Murtagh replied, "'Course not, 's long as you don't!"

Eragon nodded on relief at Murtagh's response, "Nah, I'm okay with it. D'you wanna take a shower while I finish up with this?" Finishing his query, he gestured at the mess of papers upon the desk.

Nodding in reply, Murtagh strode into the bathroom and Eragon heard the sound of running water before tuning it out and focussing upon the art he had left to do for the next day.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Murtagh emerged from the steaming bathroom, his hair frizzled from being dried with the towel. Seeing Eragon slumped over at the desk, blunt pencil still in hand, he allowed himself a small smile. Pulling on a t-shirt and boxers, he strolled over to Eragon, trying to be as quiet as he could. Deciding against waking him up, he carefully gathered Eragon in his arms and carried him over to the queen-sized bed. He laid him down and pulled back the covers, and turned to find Eragon groggily waking up.

"Wha...Wha's goin' on?" he muttered, still half-asleep.

Murtagh smirked before replying, "Time for bed, sleepy-head"

Hearing this, Eragon kicked lazily out of his jeans, leaving him in just t-shirt and boxers as well, and then crawled onto the left side of the bed, snuggling comfortably under the blankets.

By the time Murtagh got under the covers on the other side, Eragon had already fallen deep asleep again, so Murtagh saw no problem with scooching over and wrapping his arms around his younger brother, breathing in the smell of hot chocolate still present on him. Sighing contentedly, and nuzzling even closer, Murtagh fell sound asleep to the sound of Eragons level breathing beside him. Before he completely went though, one worrying thought shot through his head;

_This isn't wrong, is it ... ?_


	2. A Normal Monday

**Brother, my Brother**

_A/N: Well, here's chapter numero deux, and hopefully you'll find it enjoyable =D._

_DISCLAIMER: I do not own the "Inheritance Cycle" in any way, shape or form._

* * *

**2. A Normal Monday...**

Eragon slowly and groggily awoke from his deep sleep, lost in thoughts about fragmented dreams he'd forgotten, and therefore didn't pay attention to the fact that the bed seemed to be warmer than usual. Eventually though, he became aware of a definite someonein the bed with him, and their position caused a light blush to bloom across Eragon's cheeks (one that probably would've made Murtagh smirk).

However, that didn't stop Eragon from enjoying this, especially the feeling of Murtagh's obviously well-muscled chest pressing up against his back, seperated only by two thin t-shirts. Giving into the moment, and deciding to enjoy it, he caved into the sensation and allowed himself to relax again into a light sleep.

* * *

Two hours later though, Eragon realised that it was probably time to get up, and started to turn around to wake up Murtagh. However, he was stopped by a feeling he had been too relaxed to notice before – a definite _hardness_ between his legs. Automatically freezing, Eragons mind went through a frenzied thought process; he knew he was gay, but that wasn't the issue. The issue was ... that apparently Murtagh made him feel that way. As a guy, Eragon would openly admit these feelings to him, but as his brother, even half ... well, that was slightly more complicated. He wasn't entirely sure what he thought of incest-

And that thought was abruptly stopped by the obvious signs of Murtagh stirring awake, obviously from Eragons previous movement, causing Eragon to once more to go into panic mode. Instead of recoiling from Eragon in horror at their position as Eragon expected, Murtagh squeezed a bit, before rising up and stretching luxuriously like a cat, his stiff muscles and limbs loosening after hours of sleeping around Eragon.

By now, Eragon had decided upon a plan of action; he turned his upper body to Murtagh, "Hey, mind if I take the first shower?"

Without waiting for a reply, he literally tore out of the room into the bathroom to have a _long _and hopefully relaxing shower to calm himself down.

In his haste though, he didn't notice the almost inperceptible look of hurt that flashed through the cloud of grey in Murtaghs eyes, as if he had been hoping for more ...

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Selena left for work at the local primary school, leaving just Murtagh and Eragon alone with Eragon's father; Brom. Not the type to prejudge without reason, or to hold a grudge, Brom took one look at Murtagh and simply shrugged to himself, as if to say 'don't worry, I don't bit...usually' which was perfectly typical of him. However, he also noticed some tension between the two, and quietly grumbled, "Oh just sort it out, will you! You could cut the tension here with a knife," before he up and left, leaving the two in an awkward silence.

Eragon was the first to make a sound, clearing his throat unceremoniously, before he plucked up the courage to say, "Hey listen, 'Tag..."

He trailed off unintentionally when he saw humour sparkle in Murtaghs eyes at the nickname before catching himself and continuing, "About this morning, the only reason I was being abrupt was ... ... ... there was a bit of a problem ..." he finished, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

Seeing Murtaghs jaw clench and the maelstrom of emotions in his eyes increase tenfold, Eragon quickly added to it, saying, "No! Not what we were ... doing! I loved that! It's just that ... uhm ... ... when I woke up ... I-I ... had ... m-morning wo-od-"

Before he could finish, Murtagh had seemingly gone through an extreme transformation; his whole demeanour changed to one of mirth instead of suppressed anger. Before long a quiet chuckle escaped his mouth, before he clamped a hand over the rebellious organ, urging to spare Eragon any further embarrasment.

After mastering control of his mouth, Murtagh strode over to Eragon, still grinning, and took Eragon by surprise when he gathered his little brother into a hug, saying quietly, "That's nothing to be embarassed about, lil' bro!" He bit his lip before continuing, "And, anyway, I've a liitle secret of my own..."

Eragon looked up in curiosity, an eyeborw cocked in interest.

"I really, _really _enjoyed falling asleep and waking up with you in my arms. A _lot_..." he lowered his voice an octave, and allowed it to turn husky, hoing it would get his point across.

Eragon could hardly believe it! Murtagh felt the same was as well?! Already slightly flustered at his brothers confesssion, his resolve tumbled spectacularly when Murtaghs low husky breath streamed across his earlobe, causing him to shiver unconsiously. Deciding to forego subtley and caution, he brought his head to in front of Murtaghs.

Seeing only satisfied acceptance withing the shining grey orbs, Eragon took the plunge, his mouth moving forward toward Murtaghs. Having seemingly expected it though, Murtagh met him halfway, and what happened next blew both of their minds away.

Pulling away after what was an incredibly long (but _satisfying_) thirty seconds, the pair leaned back into each other, resting their foreheads against each other, and enjoying the closeness they were sharing.

Brom watched the two from the hallway, nodding approvingly and smiling to himself while thinking, _Good, they deserve each other, especially Murtagh, _ before he turned away and started the car to bring Eragon to school.

* * *

_A/N: Well, now they know of their feelings for one another, but don't worry, this isn't over by a long shot, still got some ideas my muses are busy sprucing up 'specially for these two... Be excited! :D_

_P.S. Thanks for taking the time to read! :)_


	3. Friends and Strange Acquaintances

_**Brother, my Brother  
**_

_A/N: **Looks around awkwardly** ...So... how's everyone been? **insert generic life got in the way excuse of your choosing here**_

_Now that that's out of the way, let's move onto the chapter that I hope everyone's been eagerly awaiting (for far too long I admit)_

_DISCLAIMER: I do not (dies a little inside) own the property of Christopher Paolini contained herein._

* * *

**3. Friends and Strange Acquaintances**

College that day was a torturous ordeal for Eragon, not in the least because Murtagh wasn't enrolled at his college, so he spent most of his classes and lectures away in the clouds thinking of Murtagh and little, if anything, else. At least in Art he got some work done, being well practised at drawing while his mind was occupied, but his Psychology lecture was another matter entirely.

Their professor, a Miss Angela, was as mysterious a woman as could be thought. Hardly anyone knew her surname, but that was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to the rather short, always well-meaning and extremely strange personality that made up the Psychology teacher.

"And that kids, finishes today's topic on childhood traumas!" rang out Angela's rich voice from the front of the small lecture hall as the clock chimed 4:00.

"And remember – there are no toads, only frogs!" she chimed, winking with one of her almond-coloured eyes, while she stroked the head of her cat, Solembum, after he strutted in as the class ended, demanding attention from his master.

Eragon shook his head, and smiled to himself as Angela finished the lecture in true Angela-ness. She always liked leaving her students with something memorable and interesting. _Variety is the spice of life_, as the saying goes, and it was clear Angela had as spicy a life as could be and wanted to share that with everyone.

As Eragon, last as per usual, left for the door, he was interrupted by Angela, "Oh, and Eragon, whatever's making you so happy...cherish it!"

Blushing at first at his professor's choice of words, he smiled softly and replied, "Don't worry Angela, I plan on doing just that!"

Satisfied at the young man's answer, Angela smiled back and waved him out of the room, bangles jangling on her wrists as she waved them at him. "Go then! Before you die of happiness," she said enthusiastically, smiling in good measure at her student.

Chuckling at the Psych professor's antics, Eragon left for the hall, and hopefully, Murtagh, since they'd arranged to meet outside the college so Eragon could go show his brother the town and spend some 'quality time' together. Grinning at that particular prospect, Eragon walked down the hall, once again lost in his own world.

Unfortunately, his bubble was popped when a particular blonde-haired, blue-eyed best friend ambushed him with an enthusiastic, "ERA'!"

Jumping at the unexpected outcry, Eragon squealed (albeit a manly one at that) and managed to squawk out a surprised, "H-hey, Saph!" before he regained his composure and looked at his friend-since-childhood and chuckled before saying, "Jeez Saph, give a guy some warning would ya?"

"And what, ruin the fun?" she replied, putting on a 'hmmm' face, finger pressed to her lip before continuing, "Nah, totally not worth it, your face was priceless!"

Eragon just shot her a look, before shaking his head and resigning himself to his position of tormented best friend. After all, Saph wasn't so bad once you got used to...well, her. She tended to go a bit overboard, especially when her emotions got the best of her – which was rare, to be fair to her – hence Eragon's constant comparison of her to a dragon.

"Hello? Earth to Era'!" Saphira called dramatically, waving a hand in front of his face, an amused look upon her face, "You alright? You're even more spaced-out than usual, which I didn't think was even possible!"

"Uh, yeah. Fine. Just... stuff going on..." he answered, trying his best to put her off the track.

Her right eyebrow raised. Crap. On the trail. "Oh, stuff, is it?" she asked, her voice over-casual. "Whatever could it be, I wonder..." Her left eyebrow joined its fellow. Double crap. Chasing the prey. "Well, since it's you... and there's really only one thing that gets you this distracted..." Prey found. "Plus the gorgeous hunk coming our way who can't stop smiling and staring at you..." Caught, and mangled for good luck.

Eragon sighed in resignation. "Never could hide anything from you, could I Saph..." he said, an embarrassed tone in his voice.

She nodded sagely, "Not now, not ever," she declared, tapping her lovestruck friend on the nose.

Eragon swatted her hand away playfully, chuckling at her antics, then found that same hand with another, very warm, hand attached to it once it reached his side. He squeezed gently, "Hey 'Tag, how'd your day go?"

Murtagh clasped his brother's hand in return, "Not bad Era', who's this?"

"Oh right, you haven't met Saph. Murtagh, meet Saphira – my best friend. Saphira, meet Murtagh – my ... brother..." Eragon trailed off toward the end.

Saphira raised a questioning eyebrow, "Not that there's anything to be embarrassed about Era', but since when've you had a brother?"

Eragon started, remembering that he hadn't yet told Saphira about Morzan, being a somewhat hazy subject for him too, but he realised he probably should enlighten her.

"...and now Murtagh lives with us," Eragon finished sometime later, as the trio left the campus, making their way toward Teirm's town centre, where Eragon and Saphira's favourite mall "Du Weldenvarden" was.

Saphira nodded at the end of Eragon's explanation, then looked at Murtagh, "So, you're Eragon's half-brother, and Selena's your mother too?" she asked, just to be sure.

Murtagh's grip tightened for a moment at the mention of Morzan, but he calmed as he replied, "Yep, both right."

She then turned to Eragon, asking, "And he's staying with you and Selena now?"

Eragon nodded, wondering why Saphira would ask that...

Saphira's eyes sparkled mischievously as she 'innocently' asked, "Ah but, Era', the real question is, you've only one bed, don't you?"

Eragon just looked at her, blushing slightly, before he suddenly smirked, replying with, "I do indeed Saph, amd I've no argument against it."

"Nor I," added Murtagh, an amused tilt in his voice, adjusting his right hand so that it now rested with Eragon's right in the pocket on Eragon's other side, resting next to his hip.

Saphira smiled at the pair's actions, before saying, "Ah, there's hope for you two yet."

Her gaze then hardened to diamond-like levels, before she looked Murtagh in the eye, and letting some of her 'inner dragon' out. Said to him, "You may be his brother, but you do anything, and I mean _anything_, to hurt my little one, you'll find yourself in a world of pain. Understand?"

Gulping nervously, he nodded, grey eyes showing fear tinted with anger along its edges.

"Good!" chirped Saphira, her bubbly personality back up now that that was over and done with.

Murtagh looked to Eragon for an explanation. Eragon nodded just shrugged and said, "Forgot to tell you, she's a dragon inside."

Murtagh didn't doubt that for one moment.


End file.
